application to meet those sudden and unexpected occurrences that are occasionally encountered in the course of violent and obscure diseases.

Had not a morbid sensitiveness, and a too humble estimate of his own abilities, compared with those of his contemporaries, held him back from that active participation which, in mind and manners, he was so well qualified to take in the several medical organizations upon whose rolls of membership his name was inscribed, and from communicating in writing, through one or other of the mediums that were open to him, the results of his observation and experience, his true worth as a physician would have been early recognized and acknowledged, and his name, we feel certain, would have been assigned a very high rank among the medical men of our State and country.

Dr. Klapp may be considered as having fallen a victim, in a great measure, to an excessive devotion to the practical duties of his profession. His labors in the sick room were too incessant and exclusive to be sustained for any length of time by even the strongest constitution, but were eminently destructive of one in which, like his, there was a strong inherited proclivity to disease, and that required frequent intervals of relaxation and repose to insure to its possessor a prolonged season of usefulness. Notwithstanding his health frequently broke down beneath his unremitting toil of body and of mind, of the warnings thus given to him he took no heed, but, believing that his obligations to his patients were paramount to all considerations of a personal character, after each attack of illness he returned to his round of labor with unremitting ardor, until, finally, the nervous system, kept too long and continuously upon the stretch, gave way, and the once active mind and untiring body were prostrated in utter helplessness, and, after lingering on for a few months in this condition, sank into the grave, while the freed spirit arose to meet the Saviour in whom, from youth to manhood, amid each vicissitude and trial of life, it had ever trusted with a full and unwavering faith.

Dr. Klapp leaves behind him a widow and seven children, together with a large circle of attached friends, who fully appreciated his many excellencies, and sincerely deplore his early loss.

On motion of Dr. THOMAS, it was ordered that one hundred extra copies of the Memoir of Dr. Klapp be placed at Dr. Condie's disposal.

CASE OF POISONING BY OPIUM.

Dr. GOBRECHT called attention to a case of poisoning by opium, in a child aged twelve months, which came under his notice in the latter part of Nov. 1856.

The child was said to have had administered to it about a teaspoonful of laudanum, with castor oil in equal quantity, in mistake for syrup of rhubarb, at about seven P. M.; for about half an hour it was unusually wakeful, and the error was not detected until it was placed in its cradle, when stertorous respiration super

vened.

Some length of time was consumed in the ineffectual search for a physician, so that it was half past nine o'clock when I saw the child, about two and a half hours after the administration of the poison. He had, however, taken by previous advice, Cupr. Sulph., gr. j, Ipecac., gr. ij, in divided doses, during fifteen minutes, but without any result. This I followed with Zinci Sulph., gr. j, Ipecac. gr., intending to repeat the dose if required, and applied the poles of an electro-magnet to the nape of the neck and the pit of the stomach, with low power, to aid in vomiting, but without effect. But the rapidly increasing insensibility of the child, with pin-head pupils-determined me to use the stomach-tube. With a male catheter and a two ounce syringe, I washed out the stomach, and as an attempt at vomiting seemed to be produced by the distension of the organ after a little time, I withdrew the tube-a single regurgitation followed, and the infant sunk back exhausted and as pale as death. Stimulation with small doses of strong coffee and brandy, caused it to rally-when I again washed out the stomach; the fluid thus passed through the organ was starchy in appearance, and sour to smell, but with the very faintest odor of opiumshowing that in all probability the laudanum had been almost entirely absorbed. As the infant rallied a little and could be roused by some exertion, it was shaken, walked up and down, slapped, and stimulated by coffee and brandy, until eleven o'clock; when suddenly it seemed to be impossible to keep it longer awake, its head falling on the shoulder, and its surface being cold and pale,

the pupils remaining contracted; in short, the exertions to prevent its falling into irrecoverable stupor, were necessarily so active, that I feared that even if it resisted the opium, it might eventually die of exhaustion. I therefore, having partly wrapped the two poles of a powerful electro-magnetic machine in towels, by which to hold. them, applied one pole to the nape of the neck, and the other to the pit of the stomach, for the purpose of keeping up artificial respiration, and the action of the heart. I commenced with the lowest power without much effect, and gradually drew out the keeper of the magnet to its full extent; even this for some time resulted in very little good, so little that at about half past twelve I believed the case entirely hopeless; but by constantly removing and reapplying the pole, with this full power, at the nape of the neck, every few seconds, I was enabled to produce a perfect respiratory act, and decidedly to increase the action of the heart. This condition continued as long as the electro-magnet was used, but when the latter was discontinued for a little, these actions would become slower and weaker, and almost cease. Finally by its continued use I perceived a faint blush on the scalp, which increased, the child stretched itself backwards, raised its head, the face was suffused, it opened its eyes, and the pupils dilated. On suspending again the use of the instrument, it relapsed into almost its former condition. This happened many times, each time the infant coming quicker under the influence of the magnetic current.

The proceedings, as before mentioned, were continued until two o'clock, just three hours, when, on stopping the machine, respiration and the action of the heart continued undisturbed; the pulse was full; the skin red and warm; and a warm sweat broke out on the forehead; the child continued in a gentle sleep for half an hour, and then raising its head and opening its eyes, with the pupils naturally dilated, recognized its nurse and parents, played with its toys, and was quite well.

It has never had an unpleasant symptom since.

The instrument employed (Kidder's, large size) was of such power as to produce the most violent effects on myself and others when tested; but acted in no other way upon the child, than by producing artificial respiration, at least, until the close of the proceedings, when general contractions and some pain were made evident.

The Librarian reported the following donations to the Library:

:

From Dr. STILLE: Camper, Demonstrationum AnatomicoPathologicarum, Liber Primus. Folio.

From the Publishing Committee of the American Medical Association: Transactions of the Am. Med. Assoc. Vol. IX. From Dr. WOOD: A Treatise on Therapeutics and Pharmacology, by G. B. WOOD, M. D. 2 vols., 8vo.

Propositions for Fellowship, 75 and 76, were presented.

VOL. III.-NEW SERIES.

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NO. II.